Nevada Dietitian/Nutrition Career Information

Nevada has come out strong once again in terms of pay for dietitians and nutritionists. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, as of May 2012, Nevada ranked second in the nation in terms of annual mean salaries for dietitians and nutritionists, with an annual mean salary of $71,840, second only to Maryland, with an annual mean salary of $82,650.

In addition, the metropolitan area of Las Vegas-Paradise ranked third in the nation for its annual mean salaries for dietitians and nutritionists. BLS reports that, as of May 2012, dietitians and nutritionists in this area earned a mean annual salary of $78,810.
All dietitians in Nevada must be licensed to practice in the State of Nevada. Therefore, to become a registered and licensed dietitian, you must complete the following steps:

Although Nevada does no license nutritionists in Nevada, you can earn professional recognition through certification as a Certified Nutritionist Specialist (CNS) certification through the Certification Board for Nutritional Specialists (CBNS).
Before you can qualify to sit for the CNS examination and become a CNS, you must achieve the following:

A master’s of science or doctoral degree in nutrition or a doctoral degree in a clinical healthcare field, both from a regionally accredited college or university

The completion of specific coursework within your program, including:

At least 9 semester credit hours in nutrition

At least 6 semester credit hours in biochemistry

At least 3 semester credit hours in physiology or anatomy/physiology

At least 12 semester credit hours in clinical or life sciences

The completion of at least 1,000 hours of documented supervised practice experience in nutrition

Your CNS designation must be renewed every 5 years, and you must show documented proof of the completion of at least 75 continuing education credits at the time of renewal.

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American University’s online Master of Science in Nutrition Education will prepare you to become an influential leader in nutrition education and advocacy while promoting nutrition and healthy lifestyle choices in your community. This program does not prepare you to be a registered dietician. However, there are currently registered dieticians in this program for professional development and career advancement.

Dietetic Internship (DI) Program in Nevada

Upon completing your educational program in dietetics through an ACEND-accredited program, you must then apply for and attend a dietetic internship (DI). ACEND-accredited DI programs include at least 1,200 hours of supervised practice experience and take between 4 and 24 months to complete. Within Nevada, there are two DI programs:

Take the (CDR) Exam in Nevada

After completing an ACEND-accredited DI program, you will be eligible to sit for the CDR exam. Your DI program director will likely contact CDR directly and notify them of your eligibility to sit for the exam. As such, you can expect to receive an email from ACT Inc., on behalf of the CDR, informing you of the registration process and providing you with directions on how to register and pay the $200 application fee.

Once you have registered and paid the registration fee, you will receive an email from PSI Exams, asking you to schedule the date, time, and location of your CDR exam. There are more than 250 PSI Testing Centers located throughout the United States, with Nevada testing centers being located in Elko, Las Vegas, and Reno.

Once you have scheduled your exam, print out the email confirmation from PSI and remember to bring it, along with your government-issued photo ID, to PSI on the day of your exam.

The CDR exam consists of at least 125 questions, 25 of which are pre-test questions that are not scored. PSI will provide you with a simple calculator to take the exam. You cannot bring an outside calculator with you.

You must score at least 25 out of a possible score of 50 to pass the exam. You can immediately view your score upon completing the exam.

If you don’t pass the exam, you may retest after 45 days, but you must first contact CDR (1-800-877-1600) and receive authorization to retest.

Maintain your Dietitian License in Nevada

Your license will expire 2 years from the date of issuance. To renew your state licensure, you must pay the $200 renewal fee. You will receive renewal information and instructions before the expiration of your dietitian license.

To maintain your CDR registration as an RD, you must renew your registration every 5 years and show proof of the completion of at least 75 continuing education credits during the renewal period. The CDR requires that you maintain and track your continuing education credits through the CDR’s Professional Development Portfolio.